నైరూప్య

Advanced materials chemistry for rechargeable potassium-ion battery

Titus Masese

Advanced rechargeable potassium-ion (K-ion) batteries are a new generation of battery systems and are deemed not only as lucrative low-cost battery alternatives to the current lithium-ion (Li-ion) technology but also as high voltage energy storage systems. The development of a K-ion battery with comparable performance as Li-ion battery is, however, a challenge because of the higher mass and larger ionic size of K-ion than that of Li-ion, which makes it difficult to identify materials (particularly cathodes) that can facilitate reversible insertion of the large K-ions at high voltages and reasonable capacities. In this talk we will highlight our recent progresses in developing materials for rechargeable K-ion batteries, through the screening of the broad minerals and compounds database relating to potassium-based materials aided with computational chemistry. We believe that materials exploration through computational chemistry will serve as a cornerstone for new research opportunities in the development of practically-usable and lowcost K-ion battery chemistries using ubiquitous potassium-containing materials.